How Assignment Sets, Sourcing Rules, and Bills of Distribution Work Together in Backlog Management

You create assignment sets in the Backlog Management work area to implement the supply chain networks for your sourcing strategies. You implement your supply chain network by selecting the appropriate sourcing assignment level when you assign a sourcing rule or bill of distribution to an assignment set. You create alternative assignment sets, with different sourcing assignments, to model alternative supply chains.

The following figure shows an example where three sourcing rules and one bill of distribution are assigned to two assignment sets:The first sourcing rule, SR1, is assigned to the first assignment set, AS1, at the item and organization assignment level for item B241 and organization M1. The bill of distribution, BD1, is assigned to the first assignment set, AS1, at the item assignment level for item C105.The second sourcing rule, SR2, is assigned to the first assignment set, AS1, at the organization assignment level for organization M2. The second sourcing rule, SR2, is also assigned to the second assignment set, AS2, but is assigned to AS2 at the item assignment level for item C105.The third sourcing rule, SR3, is assigned to the second assignment set AS2, at the organization assignment level for organization M2.When the supply chain network implemented by assignment set AS2 is followed, Item C105 is replenished according to the sourcing means specified in the sourcing rule SR2. When the supply chain network implemented by assignment set AS1 is followed, Item C105 is replenished according to the sourcing means specified in the bill of distribution BD1.

Assigning Sourcing Rules or Bills of Distribution to Assignment Sets

When you create sourcing rules and bills of distribution in the Backlog Management work area, you create descriptions of the means by which you replenish items, but you don't associate these means with any specific items. You create assignment sets to define your supply chain sourcing and transfer links by assigning sourcing rules and bills of distribution to specific items, customers, organizations, categories, demand classes, or regions. For each sourcing assignment within an assignment set, you select the applicable sourcing assignment level to implement the scope of the sourcing rule or bill of distribution for the specific sourcing assignment.

When you add new replenishment sources, change your strategies for using your existing sources, or you delete replenishment sources, you edit existing assignment sets, or create assignment sets, to incorporate these changes into your supply chains. When you edit assignment sets, you add new sourcing assignments to the assignment set, delete existing sourcing assignments from the assignment set, or make changes to the assignment level and assignment attributes for existing sourcing assignments. You edit assignment sets on the Edit Assignment Set page, or in a worksheet by selecting to edit in worksheet while on the Manage Assignment Sets or Edit Assignment Set pages.